Horizon Church January 2025 Bible Reading Plan - Psalms: A Journey Through the PsalmsSample

Welcome to the new year!

As we come into the new year, we are going to realign our focus to the majesty of God. As we read through the Psalms rich with praise and thanksgiving, let your hearts be open to worshipping our Lord, for He is worthy of our eternal praise.

The book of Psalms is a collection of worship songs written by a variety of authors throughout Israel's history serving as the songbook of God’s people. The titles or headings of some of the Psalms identify them with certain individuals. It is known that David wrote about half of the Psalms, with other individuals associated with certain Psalms, including Asaph, Solomon, Ethan, Moses, and the sons of Korah.

There are 150 Psalms with the main themes, including praise, thanksgiving, forgiveness, trust, laments, and wisdom. Whilst the Psalms are not organised by topic they are commonly split into five books, which are said to perhaps have been in imitation of the five books of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).

While the Psalms were written during specific periods in the history of Israel, they connect just as much to our time as they reflect their time. Encompassing a variety of positive and negative human experiences, revealing to us that we can approach God with all the ups and downs of our lives. They represent the hopes and dreams, fears, and failures of humanity, showing us what it is to be in a real, honest relationship with God.

The Psalms are a mirror to the heart of God’s people as we seek to experience God’s presence. It is so important as Christians to embrace our emotions and artistic creativity, the Psalms free us to embrace this and free our passionate and sincere worship to God.

As we journey through some of the Psalms this new year, let the raw nature of the Psalms guide you to a deeper relationship with God. Let your heart be filled with gratitude as we praise Him for all he has done and is doing in our lives.

Why not grab a few friends or your Life Group and journey through this plan together?

To learn the context of Psalms watch this short video by the Bible Project below. It will help to give you a deeper understanding of what is happening in this book of the Bible.

Psalms of Thanksgiving

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This week, we are going to read through a collection of Thanksgiving Psalms. Gratitude and thanksgiving begin by acknowledging who God is and what He has done.

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Join us as we realign our posture to one of gratitude before the Lord by meditating on these Psalms, recalling God’s mercies to us. We encourage you to use this time to thank God for the year that's been and look with a grateful heart to the year before us.

We hope this week you remember that God is a loving Father who protects and provides for His children. He is faithful and true, and His goodness knows no limits.